Plumb bob support



March 7, 1944. w, MAXEY 2,343,688

PLUMB BOB SUPPORT Filed Aug. 15, 1942 INVENTOR.

W; E.MAXE Y BYM/ZNI Patented Mar. 7, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I PLUMB BOB SUPPORT William E. Maxey, East St. Louis, nl. Application August 15, 1942, Serial No. 455,013

' 2 Claims. (61. 248- 2 16) This invention relates to devices for the use of mechanics in erecting houses or structures of any kind, or in repairing the same, and in which work it is necessary to verticallyposition any of the timbers, posts, beams, walls or other parts of the structure.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simple tool which may be quickly and releasably attached to a post, beam, wall or other erect member of a buildingstructure, having an arm arranged to extend laterally from said memher and from which arm the suspension cord of a plumb bob may be hung ordepended alongside the structure, in the process of aligning same. vertically or as may be desired.

Another object is to provide a tool of the kind referred to, comprising a shank provided with means for releasably attaching it to a building structure or member, and having an arm arranged to extend laterally from the structure,

the said arm being calibrated regularly and preferably notched thereat on its upper side as means for supporting the upper end of the cord of a plumb bob in any desired spaced relation to the structure.

With the stated objects in view, certain preferred embodiments and structural features of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete tool as in use, here shown as mounted on the side of a post.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the assembly of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the tool as mounted atop a post, and with the secondary arm drawn partially out.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the primary elements of the tool.

Figure 6 is an enlarged section on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the secondary arm of the tool.

Figure 8 is an enlarged section on the line 8-8 of Figure 7.

The invention comprises an elongated, squared shank 5 formed with a head 6 for receiving a blow of a hammer (not shown) and with spurs 1 and 8 integral with the shank, and extended radially therefrom and spaced angularly apart ninety degrees. It will be noted that one spur, as 8, is axially aligned With the shank and head, while the other spur 1 extends perpendicularly to the shank, Aprimary supporting arm 9 is extended from the shank 5, oppositely to and in axial alignment with the spur ,i. The other'free end of the arm Sis also formed with a head H] for receiving a blow of a hammer. Thus the tool may be quickly and removably afixed to a post P or other vertical structure, by driving eitherthe spur 1 into the side of the .post, or the other spur 8 into the top thereof, as shown in Figure 1. In either case the-arm 9 will extendand be supported laterally and horizontally from the post.

It will be noted that the arm 9 is formed halfround in cross-section, the fiat side constituting the frontal side or face-of the. tool. This flat, frontal side is marked or calibrated as indicated at II, in a regular and conventional manner, as by inches and fractions thereof, as here shown, measuring from the shank 5.

A secondary or auxiliary supporting arm [2 is provided, the same including a tubular and halfround portion l3 adapted to slide freely and snugly upon the primary arm 9, and a flat face strip l4 rigidly secured to the flat, frontal side of the secondary arm l2. This secondary arm is approximately of equal length with the .primary arm, and the face strip i4 is marked and calibrated co-equally with the calibrations ll of the primary arm, as indicated at I5, and so as to register with the calibrations ll when the secondary arm is closed fully upon the primary arm, with its inner end abutting the shank 5.

A series of notches I6 is formed along the upper margin of the face strip 14, in exact registry with the calibrations l l and IS.

A small lug I1 i formed at the under side of the arm 9 at its juncture with the shank 5, and the inner end of the arm I2 is correspondingly slotted, as at l8, to receive that lug when the arms are closed. together. The purpose of the lug I1 is to space the arm 9 slightly from the top of a post P, so as to enable the arm l2 to close fully onto the arm 9, when the tool is in use or actually attached to the post.

As here shown it will be noted that the calibrations ll of the primary arm 9 are numbered 7 to 12, while the calibrations l5 of the secondary arm l2 are numbered 1 to 6, said numbers in this case representing so many inches. The purpose of this scheme of numbering will be explained later.

A boss I9 is anchored upon the back or rounded portion l3 of the arm l2, and this boss is tapped through as at 20, to receive a thumb.

screw 2 l, for locking the secondary arm l2 at any desired point of extension relative to the primary arm 9.

Figure 1 illustrates the use of the tool, as applied either to the top or side of the post P for vertically aligning same by means Of the plumbbob Pb., as shown suspended by the cord C from the horizontally extended arms of the tool. The tool is first mounted atop or at side of the post by forcing one of the spurs 1 or 8 into the post as before pointed out, thus extending the arms 9 and I2 laterally to one side of the post. Ordinarily the arms 9 and I2 would be telescoped closely together as shown at the right hand of Figure l, but where necessary or desirable, arm l2 may be drawn out and extended, as shown at left in Fig. 1. In either case the plumb-bob Pb. is suspended from the arms by passing the cord C over the arms and through the desired one of the notches l6 and secured by wrapping the cord a. turn or two around the arms. Note being then taken of the distance in inches of the upper end of cord 0 from the top end of the post P, the post is then aligned by straightening it so that the-lower end of the cord is likewise spaced the same distance from the post. I a

When the arms 9 and I2 are closed together, the distance of cord C from post Pb. is read in inches from the markings 1" to 6" of the secondary arm l2. With cord C located in the outer notch of arm I2, or six inches from th post, if it is desired then to remove the cord even further out from the post, the arm I2 is pulled out as desired and locked by the screw 2|, and the space reading of the cord from the post is then taken from the markings 7" to 12" of the primary arm 9, as uncovered and shown at the inner end of the extended arm I2.

Of course the secondary arm l2 may be omitted if desired, and only the primary arm 9 employed.

While a post is here employed in describing the use of the tool, the tool of course may be used with equal effect upon any building element or structure for vertically positioning it, and while I have here shown and described certain embodiments and features of the invention, the same may be varied within the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a plumb bob support, an elongated arm having one end adapted for attachment to a support, a tubular member slidably fitted on said arm, and an upwardly projecting strip extending the full length of the tubular member and provided with a multiplicity of longitudinally spaced V-shaped notches adapted to engage a plumb bob cord.

2. In a plumb bob support, an elongated arm having one end adapted for'attachment to a support, said arm being half-round in cross section with its flat side in a, vertical plane, a tubular member slidably fitted on said arm, said member including a portion of semi-circular cross section and a flat longitudinal complementary strip confronting the flat side of the arm, said strip having an upper marginal portion projecting above the top of the semi-circular portion and provided with a. multiplicity of notches spaced longitudinally of the tubular member to receive the cord of a plumb bob therein.

WILLIAM E. MAXEY. 

